This invention involves a box device to hold product discount coupons that provide reduced prices on certain goods, usually sold in supermarkets. In particular, this invention involves a coupon box that is attachable to the top of a shopping cart.
The term "product coupon" is intended to include all discount coupons providing a lowering of the price or a free sample of the product, whether the coupon is offered and distributed by the manufacturer of the product or whether the coupons are supplied by the retail outlet, such as a supermarket chain in order to promote business.
The advantages of using the product coupons to obtain price reductions is a well established practice. The manufacturer of goods uses the coupons to promote sales of a particular product and in particular to promote the sales of new products or improved products in the market place. A consumer is given the coupons in newspapers, magazines, and even in the mail. The consumer is then expected to take these coupons to the store and receive an immediate price reduction upon purchase of the particular named goods. The problem arises that the consumer is deluged by hundreds and even thousands of coupons on a wide variety of goods, most of which the consumer cannot purchase or use in a single week. On the other hand, the coupons are sometimes good for months or even indefinitely. The consumer wishes to have the coupons organized so that he or she, when entering the store, and locating a particular item that he or she wishes to purchase, can then determine whether a coupon is available as a discount for that particular product. Further, when the consumer reaches an area of the store where there are many different brand names of a particular product, the consumer will typically make the choice between brand names depending upon the availability of coupons to get a reduced price. This is particularly important in "double" or even "triple" coupon days when the store runs a promotion which doubles the discount or triples the discount for any coupons used that day.
Not only is organization of the large supply of coupons, important, but also storage and protection of the coupons are important. Because the number of coupons involved, it has been necessary for persons to bring shoe boxes into the store full of coupons. The prudent shopper, who wishes to take advantage of the coupons only when he or she actually needs the product, requires a substantial storage and filing system.
A number of devices have been provided to store coupons. These are typically small pouches and small boxes which can be carried into the store in a purse or a pocket. Unfortunately, the storage capabilities of such devices are insufficient if the consumer wants to control the coupons as contrasted to being controlled by the lesser number of coupons available in a particular week. Large boxes are unwieldy and cannot be easily handled and used while moving through a supermarket and pushing a shopping cart. About the only way to hold a shoe size box container in such situations is to place the box on the "seat bottom" of the infant seat of typical shopping carts. It is virtually impossible to not only hand a shoe size box and an infant in a shopping cart effectively. The typical basket construction has a steel rod running entirely around the top edge of the basket. The handle which is used to push the basket is typically placed a short distance rearwardly from the rear top edge bar of the basket. The distance between the steel seat back bar and the rear top edge bar and the handle.
The design and construction of shopping carts varies widely but there is a commonality in that the infant seat typically opens inwardly into the basket cavity of the shopping cart. The seat back has a steel bar across the top, which in the open position is spaced away from the rear top edge bar of the basket, varies between shopping cart manufacturers, but two similar bars exist in essentially all shopping carts. Certain devices such as portable desks and like items have been supported between these two bars. These desks device are useful for shopping lists and writing notes, but do not fulfill the needs relating to coupon organization and storage.
The above needs relating to coupon organization and storage and in particular to provide a device that can be easily used while operating a shopping cart, has not been satisfied by the present devices nor have the objects listed herein below been satisfied by other prior art devices.